Device for heating a drinkable liquid

ABSTRACT

The device for heating a drinkable liquid, having a liquid-storage container (9) and an electric heating element (11) arranged therein, the liquid-storage container (9) having a valve which is arranged at the bottom in the base (12) of the liquid-storage container (9) and of which one sealing surface is the border of an opening (14) in the base (12) and which opens, in a manner which cannot automatically be reversed, on account of the base curving outwards at a predetermined internal pressure in the container, and the power supply to the heating element (11) being designed such that it is interrupted when the pressure in the liquid-storage container (9) is essentially equal to the atmospheric pressure, which device can be positioned on a collecting container for the liquid, is distinguished in that the other sealing surface of the valve is a plate-like element (15) which consists of elastic material and, in its non-loaded state, is shaped essentially conically, with the cone tip directed towards the interior of the liquid-storage container (9), and is retained at this tip.

The invention relates to a device for heating a drinkable liquid, havinga liquid-storage container and an electric heating element arrangedtherein, the liquid-storage container having a valve which is arrangedat the bottom in the base of the liquid-storage container and of whichone sealing surface is the border of an opening in the base and whichopens, in a manner which cannot automatically be reversed, on account ofthe base curving outwards at a predetermined internal pressure in thecontainer, and the power supply to the heating element being designedsuch that it is interrupted when the pressure in the liquid-storagecontainer is essentially equal to the atmospheric pressure, which devicecan be positioned on a collecting container for the liquid.

A known device of this type (EP-A-0479111) is predominantly used invehicles, in motion, for making hot drinks or, for example, also soup.The device filled with a drinkable liquid, in particular water, and acollecting container are carried for this purpose. If one wishes to havea hot drink or soup, then the device is positioned on the collectingcontainer and connected to an electric power source. The liquid is thenheated and expands, the internal pressure being increased further by theexpansion of the liquid, by gases which may be located in the storagecontainer or by gases contained in the liquid. When a certainoverpressure is reached, then the valve opens irreversibly, and the hotliquid flows into the collecting container. A drink or soup which hasbeen introduced beforehand into the collecting container in the form ofa dry substance or has been provided at the bottom of the liquidcontainer, for example in a suitable liquid permeable receptacle, ismade in the process. The device is then removed, and the liquid can bedrunk from the collecting container or else, in the case of soup,spooned therefrom. It is also known that the device can be reused andrefilled with liquid by the user and made ready for use.

The device is straightforward, expedient as well as safe. This isbecause, at the moment when the liquid has emptied into the collectingcontainer and overpressure can no longer prevail in the liquid-storagecontainer, the power supply is interrupted, with the result that theheating element cannot be heated any further.

The previously known device has the disadvantage, on the one hand, thatthe throughflow area of the valve is comparatively small. Moreover, whenthe valve opens, there is friction between the lip seal and the annularborder of the base opening, which, in some circumstances, preventsreliable opening of the valve.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the type mentionedin the introduction having a valve which operates safely and reliablyand has a large throughflow cross section. In many cases, the advantageof the large throughflow cross section is that the drinks are made moreuniformly.

The solution according to the invention consists in that the othersealing surface of the valve is a plate-like element which consists ofan elastic material and, in its non-loaded state, is shaped essentiallyconically, with the cone tip directed towards the interior of theliquid-storage container, and is retained at this tip.

As with the previously known valve, one sealing surface of the valve isthus the border of the base opening. The other sealing surface, however,is a platelike element which consists of elastic material and, in itsnon-loaded state, is shaped such that it essentially assumes the shapeof the surface of a cone. When the base is pressed inwards, then theborder of the base opening comes to rest against this cone and pressesthe border of the plate-like element inwards, with the result that itrests in a prestressed sealing manner here, against the border of theopening. If the internal pressure increases and the base is pressedoutwards, then first of all the plate-like element follows until thebase springs outwards, in which case the connection between plate-likeelement and border of the base opening is released and the liquid canflow out through the large flow cross section.

If the device is provided at the base with a funnel which widensoutwards, then the liquid can be introduced with the aid of this funnel.If one then presses on the funnel, then the base is pressed inwards, asa result of which the valve assumes its closed position.

If the device has a plug which is intended for the supply of electriccurrent and contains one or more pins which is or are parallel to the,when in use, vertical axis of the device, then the plug can be pluggedinto a corresponding socket with likewise vertical bores, with theresult that the device is retained in the correct alignment for heatingthe liquid. When the plug is plugged into the socket, the device ismoved vertically downwards and, at the same time, can be inserted into acollecting container, which is likewise set up vertically.

The collecting container may have a screen filter with a centralopening. The liquid can pass without obstruction into the collectingcontainer through the central opening when the drink is being made. Whenthe liquid is drunk, solid residues such as tea leaves or coffee groundsare then caught by the screen, which is arranged in the border region.Moreover, this screen filter prevents the liquid from slopping over inmoving vehicles.

The invention advantageously provides a receptacle for receiving adevice and a collecting container of the abovementioned type, whichreceptacle has a socket for the introduction of the plug and a recessfor the insertion of the collecting container. This receptacle, whichmay designed, in particular, in the manner of a case, can be easilytaken along on journeys. It is then always possible to make hot drinkswith the aid of the device. All that is necessary is a power source, forwhich purpose, in motor vehicles, use can be made of the 12-volt powersupply or 24-volt power supply via the cigarette-lighter connection.

The invention is described hereinbelow with reference to an advantageousembodiment and in conjunction with the associated drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an overall view of the principle of the device, of thecollecting container and of a mount, partially in section;

FIG. 2 shows the device of the invention in section;

FIGS. 3 to 8 show different steps during the usage of the device of theinvention;

FIG. 9 shows various illustrations of a screen filter which can beinserted into the collecting container; and

FIG. 10 shows, in section, the collecting container with the screenfilter of FIG. 9.

As is shown in FIG. 1, the device 1 according to the invention has aplug 2 by means of which it can be inserted into a socket 3 of aportable receptacle 4. The portable receptacle 4 is provided with ahollow 5 for receiving a collecting container 6 into which the deviceaccording to the invention can be inserted if it is moved downwards, inwhich case the plug 2 is also inserted into the socket 3.

The device 1 according to the invention has a top diaphragm 7 to whichinwardly directed pressure is applied by a spring 8. If the diaphragm 7,with the operating cone fastened thereon, is pressed outwards (upwardsin FIG. 2) by overpressure in the liquid-storage container 9, then amicroswitch 10 is switched by the slope of the operating cone duringdisplacement, with the result that a heating cartridge 11 in theliquid-storage container 9 can be supplied with power. The base 12 ofthe liquid-storage container 9 is likewise designed in the manner of adiaphragm, the latter having two stable positions, that is to say theoutwardly directed position shown in FIG. 2 and the inwardly directedposition shown, for example, in FIG. 5. A funnel 13 is fastened on thediaphragm 12. The diaphragm-like base 12 has a central opening 14.Opposite this opening 14 is an elastic plate-like element 15 which, inthe non-deformed state, is shaped like the lateral surface of a cone.

The device works as follows.

First of all, the device 1 illustrated in FIG. 2 is turned over to standon its head. In this position, shown in FIG. 3, it is filled with liquid16 with the aid of the funnel 13. The funnel 13 is then pressed down, asa result of which the base diaphragm 12, as is shown in FIG. 4, movesfrom the outwardly curved position into the inwardly curved positionshown in FIG. 5. The plate-like element 15 is then deformed inwards andthus seals the base. The overpressure produced also presses thediaphragm outwards and thus closes the microswitch 10. The device 1 isthen turned over, any excess liquid 16 which is still present in thefunnel 13 being poured away in the process. If this liquid is not water,but milk for example, then, of course, it is possible to introduce lessliquid during filling so that there is no need to pour away any liquid.

The device 1 is then inserted into the collecting container 6, asillustrated in FIG. 6, the plug 2 being inserted into the socket 3 of areceptacle 4 which has a hollow 5 for receiving the collecting container6. In this case, part of the funnel 13 is inserted into the collectingcontainer 6.

If electrical power is then supplied, the heating element 11 is heated,as a result of which the liquid 16 is heated. The base diaphragm 12 ispressed downwards gradually, the plate-like elastic element 15 initiallyfollowing this and still keeping the liquid-storage container 9 closed.In the position shown in FIG. 7, the base diaphragm 12 is in a statewhich it assumes shortly before it moves downwards, as is shown in FIG.8. In this position, the base diaphragm 12 and the annular opening 14have been released from the plate-like elastic element 15, which returnsinto its original position. The liquid can then flow out downwards intothe collecting container 6, through the large opening cross section,very quickly and suddenly. The drink is then made with the substancewhich has been provided beforehand in the collecting container 6 or inthe funnel 13. After the device 1 has been drawn off upwards, it is alsopossible for the collecting containers 6 to be removed from the hollow5, and the drink or soup can be consumed.

The plate-like elastic element also acts as part of a safety valve. Inthe case of a defect of the funnel guidance or improper handling by theuser, the elastic plate-like element 15 cannot carry out thedisplacement necessary for opening the valve. In this case, the internalpressure in the water container will rise and, before the container isdamaged, the elastic plate-like element 15 of the valve slips away fromthe seat, as a result of deformation, and is pressed into the sleeve 14.The resulting leakage and the reduction in pressure switch the applianceoff.

As can be seen from the figures, the collecting container 6 has a step17 on which a screen filter 18 can be positioned, as is shown in FIG. 9.This screen filter 18 has a central opening 19 through which the liquidcan easily pass when the drink is being made. On the one hand, when thedrink is being drunk, solid constituents can be caught by the screen 20provided in the border region. On the other hand, this screen canprevent the drink from slopping over in a moving vehicle.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device, comprising:i) an electric heatingelement connectable to a power supply, positioned so as to be capable ofheating a liquid-storage container, said liquid storage containercomprising a base which is deformable from an outwardly directedposition to an inwardly directed position, said base having a centralopening, the border of which serves as a first sealing surface, and asecond sealing surface comprising an elastic plate-like element havingan essentially conical shape when said liquid-storage container isempty, wherein the tip of said essentially conical shape is directedtowards the interior of said liquid-storage container, said plate-likeelement being deformable inwardly by pressure to seal said centralopening of said base; and ii) a liquid-collecting container positionedunder said liquid-storage container.
 2. The device of claim 1, whereinsaid base further comprises a funnel which widens outwards.
 3. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein said liquid-collecting container comprises ascreen filter with a central opening.
 4. A device for heating adrinkable liquid, comprising a liquid-storage container and an electricheating element arranged therein, the liquid-storage container having apressure-activated valve which is arranged at the bottom in the base ofthe liquid-storage container, said valve having first and second sealingsurfaces, wherein said first sealing surface is the border of an openingin the base and which opens, in a manner which cannot automatically bereversed under internal pressure conditions where the base curvesoutwards at a predetermined internal pressure in the container, and saidpower supply to said heating element being designed such that it isinterrupted when the pressure in the liquid-storage container isessentially equal to the atmospheric pressure, wherein said secondsealing surface of said valve is a plate-like element comprising elasticmaterial and, when not under the pressure of said drinkable liquid, isshaped essentially conically, with said cone tip attached towards theinterior of the liquid-supply container; and further wherein saiddrinkable liquid is capable of passing through said opening when saidsecond sealing surface does not form a seal with said opening.
 5. Thedevice of claim 4, wherein said base further comprises a funnel whichwidens outwards.
 6. A method for heating a drinkable liquid,comprising:a. providing a device comprising:i) an electric heatingelement connectable to a power supply; ii) a liquid-storage container,said liquid storage container comprising a base which is deformable froman outwardly directed position to an inwardly directed position, saidbase having a central opening, the border of which serves as a firstsealing surface; and a second sealing surface comprising an elasticplate-like element having an essentially conical shape when saidliquid-storage container is empty, wherein the tip of said essentiallyconical shape is directed towards the interior of said liquid-storagecontainer, said plate-like element being deformable inwardly to sealsaid central opening of said base; and iii) a liquid-collectingcontainer positioned under said liquid storage container; b. fillingsaid liquid-storage container by pouring a liquid through said centralopening when said container is positioned upside-down to itsliquid-dispensing orientation; c. pressing on said base such that saidbase moves from an outwardly curved position to an inwardly curvedposition and said plate-like element is deformed inwardly to seal saidcentral opening in said base; d. turning said liquid storage containerto its liquid-dispensing orientation; and e. heating said liquid bymeans of said electric heating element whereby internal pressureincreases in said liquid-storage container and forces said base into itsoutwardly curved position thereby unsealing said central opening andreleasing said liquid into said collecting container.